AMRITSAR
Arrested: The police on Tuesday arrested two
grocers, Kuldip Singh and his son Mandeep Singh, for
alleged adulteration of spices by mixing rice powder.
According to a police press note, these traders were
caught in special raids being conducted against
criminals. The police seized 15 gunny bags of adulterated
turmeric and chilly powder and five bags of rice powder.
A case under Sections 272, 273 and 420, IPC, was
registered against the two.

GURDASPUR
Exhibition: The Station Commander of Tibri
Cantonment, near here, on Wednesday inaugurated an
exhibition of weapons captured by the Army during
Operation Vijay in the Kargil Sector and
indigenous arms and weapons used by the Army against Pak
infiltrators. A large number of NCC cadets from various
educational institutions visited the exhibition.

LUDHIANA
Visit: Dr K.S. Aulakh, Pro Vice-Chancellor,
Punjab Agricultural University, and Dr S.S. Malhi,
Associate Director, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, PAU, Patiala,
are visiting the International Rice Research Institute
(IRRI), Manila, Philippines, from January 16 to January
23, 2000. Their visit has been sponsored by the
University of Wales, Bangor, UK, under the project
"Participatory crop improvement in high production
potential systems and salt affected areas of Punjab
state."

Elected:
The annual general body meeting of the Junior
Telecommunications Officers Association (India) held here
on Monday unanimously re-elected Mr Sanjeev Kumar
(Ludhiana) as District Secretary for the second
consecutive year. The following were elected
office-bearers of the association unanimously: District
President  Mr Lachman Dass; Vice-Presidents 
Mr Balwinder Singh and Mr Sukhminder Singh; and Treasurer
 Mr Deepak Kumar.

PATIALA
Deaf and dumb children: Ramkali Devi Welfare
Handicapped Sewa Society celebrated the festival of Lohri
with deaf and dumb children here on Monday. Mr Ashu Kumar
Vajpayee, Principal of Ramkali Devi Deaf, Dumb and
Mentally Retarded Children's School, said in a press note
issued here that due to holidays the function could not
be organised on the Lohri day. According to him, Mr Shyam
Lal Navyug, an industrialist, distributed utility items
to the children. He also honoured talented children of
the school.

HARYANA

SONEPAT
Dreaded criminal held: With the arrest of a
dreaded criminal, the police on Wednesday claimed to have
solved as many as eight cases of murders, dacoities and
loot committed by the culprit in Sonepat and other
neighbouring districts as well as in Delhi. The SSP, Mr
K.P. Singh, told mediapersons here that the arrested
criminal had been identified as Krishan, a resident of
Aata village in Panipat district and the police had
recovered a country-made pistol, two cartridges and Rs
4,500 in cash from his possession.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

BILASPUR
Killed: A Forest Guard Rooplal (40), of
Saryali-Deoli village near here, was crushed to death
under the rear wheels of a Manali to Delhi bound HRTC bus
of Mandi region on the main gate of the ACC cement
factory at Barmana, 18 km from here, on Monday when he
tried to board the bus from its front door and the driver
suddenly started the bus. Reports said the driver fled
with the bus but was later arrested by the police. The
Subdivisional Magistrate, Mr Roshanlal Rana, provided an
immediate relief of Rs 50,000 to the family of the victim
on behalf of the government.

Rally:
Led by their Circle Organising Secretary and District
General Secretary, Mr R.R. Sharma, a large number of
members of All-India Postal Employees Union (Class III
and Class IV) and E.D. Employees Union held a joint rally
and a demonstration in front of the head post office here
on Tuesday to protest against the failure of the Central
Government to implement a written agreement of December
18, 1998, with their confederations. The leaders of the
unions warned of launching an indefinite strike if all
their demands were not immediately accepted.

New ration
cards: In an attempt to weed out fake ration
cards and to ensure supply of essential rationed items to
deserving cases, the district administration here has
ordered issuing of new ration cards from February
throughout the district. Deputy Commissioner Jagdish
Chander Sharma said here on Tuesday that application
forms for new ration cards would be available at all
ration shops and these could be returned after filling by
January 25.

Medical camp:
The Satya Sai Seva Samiti organised a day-long free
medical camp at Auhar near here on Monday in which 1,100
patients were examined and provided medicines free of
cost while 25 patients were operated upon for eye
ailments and were provided with free lenses. Earlier, at
the nearby Badoa village, the samiti, led by its Youth
Club, started manual labour for the construction of a
sports complex which was inaugurated by the HP Education
Director, Dr Shayam Sunder.

NURPUR
Ayurvedic doctors: The Himachal Pradesh
Unemployed Ayurvedic Doctors Union has urged the Chief
Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, to give appointment
letters to those ayurvedic doctors who had appeared in
interviews in May, 1999. Mr Sanjiv Guleria, state
president of the union, in a statement said that these
interviews were conducted by the Directorate of Ayurveda
and a batchwise panel for fresh appointments was made.

SHIMLA
Asphyxiated: Three persons died of asphyxia
caused by coal smoke at Hangtoo village near Jhakri in
Kannaur district on Monday, the police said here on
Tuesday. All deceased were labourers.

Demanded:
The whole-time contingent paid Class IV employees of
Government College, Sanjauli, have demanded that they
should be paid wages at par with other Class IV
employees. They have pointed out that they are being
denied the basic pay of Rs 2,620 per month.